Instructional Minute

It is helpful to think of the district as the PLC and the school teams as the building blocks of the PLC. PLC is a process and not a program - it is who we are and how we behave.

"Educators work collaboratively rather than in isolation, take collective responsibility for student learning, and clarify the commitments they make to each other." - DuFour

Grounded in strategies from Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov, these four instructional techniques help turn our shared belief that all students can learn at high levels into daily classroom practice. Each move ensures instruction is responsive, equitable, and evidence-driven. Strong academic culture is built through small instructional decisions repeated consistently.

Core Instructional Flow

Teach → Check → Analyze → Respond → Extend

1. Check for Understanding (CFU): Gather Evidence

Purpose: Determine what students actually understand during learning.
Look Fors:

• Questions aligned to objective

• Responses from all students

• Immediate instructional adjustment

Why it matters:
CFU is the engine of responsive instruction. It ensures teaching decisions are based on evidence, not assumption.

2. Cold Call: Make Thinking Visible

Purpose: Ensure all students engage in thinking, not just volunteers.
Look Fors:

• Question first, name second

• Think time before calling

• Supportive tone and posture

Why it matters:
Cold Call expands participation and gives teachers accurate data about who understands and who needs support.

3. Stretch It — Deepen Understanding

Purpose: Extend learning after a correct answer.
Look Fors:

• “How do you know?”

• “Why does that work?”

• “Can you be more precise?”

Why it matters:
Correct answers show accuracy. Stretching responses shows depth—and depth guides next instructional decisions.

4. Small Group Response — Act on Evidence

Purpose: Provide targeted support or extension during independent work.
Look Fors:

• Groups formed from CFU evidence

• Brief, focused instruction

• Flexible membership

Why it matters:
Small group response turns data into action so every student continues progressing during Tier 1 instruction.

Teacher Language That Builds Culture

Use tone and body language that communicate belief:

• “Take your time, I know you can figure this out.”

• “I see what you’re thinking. Let’s build on it.”

• “Based on your responses, here’s our next step.”

Students interpret these signals as:

My teacher believes I can learn.

Collective Commitment Connection

When these moves are used consistently across classrooms and teams:

• Instruction becomes more responsive

• Expectations stay high for all learners

• Collaboration becomes evidence-based

• Students experience a true culture of learning

We are looking forward to seeing you at the next Math Steering. Please look for an email from Ms. Sarah Kentner. The K-8 Math Steering Committee meets on the last Tuesday of every month!

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 9-12 English Steering Committee Meeting , which takes place virtually the last Thursday of the month. Please look for an email from Steering Chair Suzy Khoury to join virtually.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the next 9-12 Math Steering Committee Meeting , which takes place virtually the second Thursday of the month. Please look for an email from Steering Chair Liz Ballinger or Nicole Minor to join virtually.

The K-8 Science Steering Committee will be held on the last Tuesday of every month

at 4:15 pm. Please look for an email from Steering Chair Catherine Cole Adams to join virtually.

The documents attached outline K-8 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website. *Please note that pacing for Illustrative Math powered by Kiddom and Reveal Math will become available as the year progresses.

The document attached outlines 9-12 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

A resource to use as you see fit.

The newsletter is created each week by the Instructional Division: